Container and cap assembly for pressure washer

ABSTRACT

A container for use with a pressure washer spray lance includes a hollow member having an opening for housing a chemical and a cap assembly. The cap assembly for the container includes an inner member and an outer member and is configured to allow the use of the container in an inverted or upright position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The claimed invention relates to a pressure washer that is configured tospray soap at both a high and a low pressure. The pressure washerincludes a spray lance and an injector and a chemical tank is attachedto the spray lance. The tank is operable in both an upright and aninverted position. The injector includes a metallic nozzle and a plasticaspirator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pressure washer is a device that includes a pump, a hose, and a spraylance having an injector. A fluid source, such as water, is connected tothe pump and fluid is pumped through the hose and out the injector forapplication to a surface. It is often desirable in pressure washerapplications to utilize a chemical, such as detergent, to clean asurface. Surfaces that are typically treated with a pressure washer maybe at ground level or higher. It is not uncommon for a pressure washerto be used to spray a multi-story building, such as a three story house,or a single level structure, such as a deck or porch.

Typical pressure washers spray soap at either a low pressure or a highpressure. A user will typically use low pressure spray to reach easy toreach areas and high pressure spray to reach hard to reach areas, suchas the second story of a home or office building. With existing lowpressure soap sprayers, soap can be applied to the first story of ahouse, but not to higher stories. In order to reach higher stories, itis necessary to use a ladder in conjunction with the spray lance, whilethe pump and soap container remains on the ground. With existing highpressure soap sprayers, soap can be applied to the upper stories of ahouse, but not at lower stories because the high pressure of the sprayermay result in damage to the facade of the house. High pressureapplicators can be used on lower stories only if the user backs a farenough distance away from the structure, in order to avoid damaging thefacade.

Pressure washers and other sprayers utilize a venturi effect to suctiona chemical into a flow stream. Venturis are well known for introducing asecond fluid into a first fluid. The second fluid is introduced throughan aspirator inlet that is typically aligned with a narrowed portion ofthe venturi, or positioned downstream of the venturi. In operation, thesecond fluid to be introduced is sucked into the venturi through theaspirator inlet as fluid flows through the venturi tube. For a givenventuri tube, the aspiration rate depends on the flow rate of the fluidwhich passes through the venturi inlet and the viscosity of the fluids.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the invention, a container for couplingto a spray lance includes a hollow member having at least one openingand at least one attachment mechanism for attaching the hollow member toa spray lance of a pressure washer. The hollow member is configured tohouse a chemical.

In another embodiment, a container for coupling to a spray lanceincludes a hollow member and a cap assembly. The hollow member has atleast one opening and at least one attachment mechanism for attachingthe hollow member to a spray lance. The hollow member is configured tohouse a chemical. The cap assembly has an inner cap member with a firstand a second opening and an outer cap member with a third opening. Theouter cap member is movable relative to the inner cap member such thatthe third opening aligns with the first opening when the cap is in afirst operative position, the third opening aligns with the secondopening when the cap is in a second operative position, and the thirdopening aligns with neither the first nor the second opening when thecap is in a third inoperative position.

In yet another embodiment, a cap assembly for a container that is usablein both an upright and an inverted position is provided. The capassembly includes an inner cap member and an outer cap member. The innercap member has a first and a second opening. The outer cap member has athird opening and is positioned adjacent the inner cap member. The outercap member is rotatable relative to the inner cap member into at leastthree operative positions, such that the third opening aligns with thefirst opening when the cap is in a first operative position, the thirdopening aligns with the second opening when the cap is in a secondoperative position, and the third opening aligns with neither the firstnor the second opening when the cap is in a third inoperative position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a view of a pressure washer according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is partial view of the pump and first chemical inlet of thepressure washer;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the pump showing the first chemical inlet ingreater detail;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spray lance and injector accordingto the invention incorporating a chemical tank attached to the spraylance;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the chemical tank shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the chemical tank of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the spray lance and injector according to theinvention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the spray lance and injector of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the spray lance and injector of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cover of the injector shown inFIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is an end view of the cover shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of injector body of the injector shownin FIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is a partial top view of the injector shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 14 is a partial bottom view of the injector shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the injector shown in FIG. 6 in ahigh pressure spray mode;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the injector of FIG. 15, but in alow pressure spray mode;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the cap assembly according to theinvention;

FIG. 18 is a perspective bottom view of the outer cap member of the capassembly shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a perspective top view of the outer cap member of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the outer cap member shown in FIG.19, taken along line 20-20;

FIG. 21 is a perspective top view of the inner cap member of the capassembly shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 22 is a perspective bottom view of the inner cap member of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a top view of the inner cap member shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the inner cap member of FIG. 23,taken along line 24-24;

FIG. 25 is a partial perspective view of the cap assembly installed onthe chemical tank; and

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism for the capassembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a pressure washer 10 according to the invention and FIGS.2-3 show several exploded views of the pressure washer 10 of FIG. 1. Thepressure washer 10 includes a pump 12 for pumping a fluid from a fluidsource (not shown). The pump 12 includes an inlet 14 for receiving afluid from the fluid source and an outlet 16 for pumping the fluid at apressure. The pump 12 is operated by a motor 18, which may be powered bygas, electric, or another energy source. The pump 12 and motor 18 arepreferably positioned on a support structure 20, such as the cart shown,so that they may be easily maneuvered around a job site. A hose 22 isconnected to an outlet 16 of the pump 12 and a spray gun 24, a spraylance 26, and an injector 28 are connected to the hose 22 for spraying afluid that is received under pressure from the pump 12. The spray gun 24includes a handle 30 and a trigger 32 for opening the spray lance 26 toreceive fluid from the pump 12. The operator pulls the trigger 32 inorder to open flow of a fluid from the pump 12.

The pressure washer 10 is configured to spray a fluid out of theinjector 28 at a pressure range that ranges from a low pressure to ahigh pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure washer 10 isconfigured to spray at a low pressure range of about 25 to about 200 psiand at a high pressure range of about 500 to about 3200 psi.

A first chemical tank 34 is positioned on the cart 20 and includes aconduit or tube 36, shown best in FIG. 2, that extends from the firstchemical tank 34 to a first chemical inlet 38 of the pump 12, shown bestin FIG. 3. The first chemical tank 34 is preferably made of anon-corrosive plastic material and is utilized for storing chemicals,such as detergent, among other chemical substances. In one embodiment,the first chemical tank 34 is made of a thermoplastic material, such ashigh density polyethylene. Other types of impact resistant,non-corrosive materials may also be used for the tank. The firstchemical tank 34 is provided in order to introduce a first chemical intothe fluid. When the first chemical is introduced into the fluid, thefluid combined with the first chemical travels through the hose 22 tothe spray lance 26 and is sprayed onto a surface through the injector28.

The pump 12 includes a venturi (not shown) that is positioned in thefluid line in alignment with the first chemical inlet 38. Venturis arewell known in the art for introducing a second fluid into a first fluid.The venturi is utilized to create a vacuum in the vicinity of theventuri and this vacuum serves to suction the first chemical from thefirst chemical tank 34 into the fluid. Venturis typically have anaspiration rate that is dependent upon the flow rate of the fluid thatflows through the venturi tube. The pump venturi is designed to suctiona first chemical when the pump 12 is operating in the low pressure sprayrange, described above. Thus, the pump 12 is configured to pump either afluid from the fluid source, or a combination of the fluid from thefluid source combined with a first chemical from the first chemical tank34.

A valve may be positioned between the first chemical tank 34 and thefirst chemical inlet 38 for opening and closing the flow of the firstchemical from the tank. Thus, in order to allow the first chemical toflow, the operator must open the valve between the first chemical tank34 and the first chemical inlet 38.

The pressure washer 10 also utilizes a second chemical tank 44, shown inFIGS. 1 and 4-6. The second chemical tank 44 is utilized to spray asecond chemical, which may be the same as or different from the firstchemical. The second chemical tank 44 is preferably made of anon-corrosive plastic material and is utilized for storing chemicals,such as bleach or detergent, among other chemical substances. In oneembodiment, the second chemical tank 44 is made of a thermoplasticmaterial, such as high density polyethylene. Other types of impactresistant, non-corrosive materials may also be used for the secondchemical tank 44.

The second chemical tank 44 is preferably an elongated, tube-shaped,hollow container 46 that has an opening 48 at one end. The opening 48 isclosed by a cap assembly 50, which will be described in greater detailbelow. The second chemical tank 44 is provided in order to introduce asecond chemical into the fluid as the fluid travels through the injector28. When the second chemical is introduced into the fluid, the fluidcombined with the second chemical is sprayed through the exit 52 of theinjector 28.

As shown in FIG. 4, the container 46 includes an attachment mechanism54. In the embodiment shown, the attachment mechanism 54 includes threeclips 56 that are positioned in alignment on one side of the container46. The clips 56 are configured so that a first and a second clip 56face a third clip 56 and such that the three clips together snap on andfirmly engage a spray lance 26. As shown, the spray lance 26 is anelongated tube, which may be made of steel or another rigid material.The clips 56 have a cross-section, shown in FIG. 6, such that theyfirmly grip the elongated tube of the spray lance 26. The clips 56 eachmay have the same cross-section, but with the middle clip being a mirrorimage of the end clips. Alternatively, the clips 56 may have differentcross-sections. In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 6, the middleclip has a different cross-section than the end clips in order to allowease in attaching the container 46 to the spray lance 26. The clips 56are configured so that the container 46 is immovable relative to thelance 26 and integral with the lance 26 when the container 46 is clippedto the lance 26. When the user moves the lance 26, the container 46moves with the lance.

The container 46 may have any desired length. As shown in FIG. 1, thecontainer 46 may have a length that is less than the length of the spraylance 26, or may have a length, as shown in FIG. 4, that exceeds thelength of the lance. The attachment mechanism 54 is designed so that thecontainer 46 may be removed from or replaced onto the spray lance 26,when desired. Other forms of the attachment mechanism may alternativelybe used, such as other clip or snap-on designs, or designs that utilizescrews, clamps or bolts, among other designs. Alternatively, otherattachment mechanisms may be utilized to connect the container 46 atother points on the spray gun 24. A stand alone tank (not shown) thatsits on the ground may be used, if desired, as long as a conduit or hoseextends from the tank to the injector 28 to allow the suctioning of thesecond chemical into the fluid. A container 46 that is attached to thespray lance 26 is preferred and desirable because it allows forportability of the unit and does not require the user to lug around anadditional hose. In a preferred embodiment, the container 46 holds 1/2gallon of chemical. Other shapes and sizes of container 46 may also beutilized, the invention not being limited to the shape and size ofcontainer 46 shown.

The container 46 may include advertising indicia 58, if so desired. Inaddition, operating instructions 60 may be positioned on the tank forassisting the operator in using the container 46 or the cap assembly 50.

In one embodiment, the pressure washer 10 has three operative modes. Thefirst mode includes low pressure spray of fluid combined with the firstchemical. The second mode include high pressure spray of fluid withoutchemical and the third mode includes high pressure spray of the fluidcombined with the second chemical. In a second embodiment, the pressurewasher has four operative modes that include the first, second and thirdmodes and an additional fourth mode. The fourth mode includes lowpressure spray of the fluid without the first chemical.

The injector 28 and spray lance 26 are shown in FIGS. 7-16 in variousorientations. The spray lance 26 is attached to the injector 28 in aconventional manner, such as with screw threads 62. The spray lance 26is connected to the spray gun 24, at the other end, utilizing screwthreads 63 or other attachment mechanisms known to those of skill in theart. It is preferred that the injector 28 have a movable external member64 that can move axially as well as rotationally. FIGS. 7 and 13 show atop view of the injector 28 and operational indicia 66 that may beincluded on the injector 28. In this view, the user is prompted to varythe flow from high to low pressure by moving the external member 64forward or rearward. In the forward position, the injector 28 willintroduce flow at a low pressure while in the rearward position, theinjector 28 will introduce flow at a high pressure. FIG. 8 shows a sideview of the injector 28, showing the second chemical inlet 68 to theinjector 28. FIGS. 9 and 14 show a bottom view of the injector 28, withinstructions 66 on how to vary the spray pattern of flow coming from theinjector 28 by rotating the external member 64. The user rotates theinjector 28 clockwise to emit a fan-like spray pattern and the userrotates the injector 28 counter clockwise to emit a stream of fluid.Various positions between the two extremes of a fan and a stream areprovided by rotating the external member 64 a partial turn. Other typesof spray patterns may also be provided in addition to or instead of thedescribed spray patterns.

As shown in FIGS. 10-12 and 15-16, the injector 28 includes an externalmember 64 and a nozzle 70. The external member 64 includes a cover 72and an injector body 74. The injector body 74 extends inside of thecover 72 and includes the second chemical inlet 68 and the venturi 82.The cover 72 and injector body 74 are positioned adjacent one anotherand are axially movable relative to the nozzle 70. Axial movement of theexternal member 64 allows the user to alter the pressure of the fluidbeing discharged from the injector 28 between a low pressure and a highpressure. FIG. 13 shows indicia 66 on the outer surface of the cover 72that describes the position of the cover 72 in order to obtain low andhigh pressure spray. The cover 72 is also rotatable relative to theinjector body 74 to change the spray pattern. As shown in FIG. 14, thecover 72 includes indicia 66 on an outer surface that describes theposition of the cover 72 in order to alter the spray pattern from a fanto a jet.

The injector body 74 includes an internal passageway 76 in which thenozzle 70 seats and fluid flows. The venturi 82 is defined in theinternal passageway 76. In addition, the injector body 74 may includespray arms 78. The spray arms may be formed integral with the injectorbody, or may be formed as separate flow directing members. A spraydeflecting member 79 may be seated inside the spray arms 78 and extendslongitudinally toward the injector outlet 52. When the cover 72 isrotated, the spray arms 78 or spray deflecting members 79 move againstsurfaces defined on the interior of the cover 72 in order to deflect thespray deflecting member 79 to provide the desired spray pattern from theinjector 28.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the nozzle 70 is positioned inside theinjector body 74 and includes a longitudinal internal passageway 80 thataligns with the internal passageway 76 of the injector body 74. Thenozzle 70 is shown as including two parts: 1) a nozzle body 71 and 2) anozzle tip 73. The nozzle tip 73 may be screwed into the nozzle body 71,or otherwise connected to the nozzle body 71. Alternatively, the nozzletip 73 can be integrally formed with the nozzle body 71 so that theytogether are formed as a single piece. The nozzle tip 73 includes a flowrestricting portion for restricting the flow through the nozzle 70. Thenozzle 70 also includes an external passageway 84 that travels aroundthe nozzle 70 through a hole 86 that is positioned in the internalpassageway 80 of the nozzle 70. The hole 86 in the nozzle 70 allowsfluid to travel from the internal passageway 80 to the externalpassageway 84 around the side and front of the nozzle 70. The fluidflows around the nozzle 70 and then joins with fluid that travelsthrough the internal passageway 80 to the internal passageway 76 of theinjector body 74. The external passageway 84 is bounded by a collar 88that is positioned around the nozzle 70 and is movable with the injectorbody 74. O-rings seals 90 are positioned between the collar 88 and thenozzle 70. The O-rings 90 are used to close the external passageway 84when the collar 88 is in a first rearward position and to allow flow totravel through the external passageway 84 when the collar 88 is in asecond forward position.

FIG. 15 shows the injector 28 in a high pressure spray position, wherefluid only flows through the internal passageway 80 of the nozzle 70 andthe nozzle tip 73. In this position, the collar 88 is positioned so thatthe O-rings 90 close the external passageway 84. The fluid exits throughthe nozzle tip 73 and passes through the venturi 82 defined in theinternal passageway 76 of the injector body 74. The fluid passes throughthe venturi 82 at a pressure that creates a vacuum downstream of thenozzle 70 and allows suctioning of the second chemical from the secondchemical tank 44 through the second chemical inlet 68, which ispositioned downstream from the nozzle 70 in the injector body 74.

FIG. 16 shows the injector 28 in a low pressure spray position, wherefluid flows both through the internal passageway 80 and through theexternal passageway 84 around the nozzle 70. In this embodiment, thecollar 88 is positioned at a forward position so that the externalpassageway 84 is open. Flow enters the hole 86 in the nozzle 70 andexits around the nozzle 70, through the external passageway 84 until itjoins with the internal passageway 76 of the injector body 74. Thisforward position of the collar 88 and injector body 74 represents thelow pressure flow position, and chemical from the second chemical inlet68 will not be introduced into the fluid because the vacuum required tosuction the second chemical from the second chemical tank 44 is notpresent.

The injector 28 preferably includes a combination of metallic andnon-metallic materials designed to deter corrosion of the metallicparts. The nozzle body 71, nozzle tip 73, and collar 88 are preferablymade of a metallic material, such as brass, while the remainder of theinjector 28 is preferably made of a non-corrosive material, such asthermoplastic. A preferred type of material is polypropylene. Becausechemicals are often corrosive in nature, it is desirable to avoidbombarding the nozzle body 71 and nozzle tip 73 with a chemical duringhigh pressure spray. For this reason, during high pressure spray, fluidalone travels from the pump 12 through the nozzle 70 because the firstchemical will not be introduced into the flow stream since the venturiat the pump is designed for low pressure spray. In the high pressurespray mode, the second chemical is introduced downstream of any metallicparts, e.g., downstream from the nozzle 70 and the collar 88. Incontrast, the first chemical combined with the fluid may travel throughand around the nozzle 70 when in the low pressure mode since themetallic parts are designed to withstand a combination of fluid andchemicals at lower pressures. By utilizing a combination of metallic andplastic parts, and introducing the chemicals at different positions inthe flow path depending on the pressure of the spray, the presentinvention assists in deterring the degradation of the nozzle 70 andprovides substantially greater nozzle life with the added flexibility ofbeing able to introduce chemicals to the flow stream at both high andlow pressures of spray. Other types of metallic materials may be usedfor the nozzle 70 and collar 88. Alternate types of plastic materialsmay also be used for the cover 72 and body 74. Advances in the art mayprovide opportunities to utilize plastic materials for the nozzle 70 andcollar 88.

FIGS. 15 and 16 also depict a check valve 92 that is positioned at thesecond chemical inlet 68. The check valve is utilized to prevent theback flow of fluid into the second chemical tank 44 during operation ofthe injector 28. In addition, O-ring seals 90 are positioned between theinjector body 74 and the cover 72 and between the collar 88 and theinjector body 74 in order to prevent fluid from flowing in undesirabledirections. The spray lance 26 is preferably threaded to the nozzle 70at the entrance of the injector 28 using conventional screw threads 62,although other types of attachment mechanisms may also be utilized.

FIGS. 17-26 show the cap assembly 50 of the container 46. The capassembly 50 is a multi-position selector valve for controlling chemicalflow from the container 46 and includes an inner cap member 94 and anouter cap member 96. The outer cap member 96 is positioned adjacent tothe inner cap member 94 and the inner cap member 94 abuts the opening 48of the container 46.

The outer cap member 96 is movable relative to the inner cap member 94in order to provide the cap assembly 50 with a number of operativepositions. A first operative position is for use in the invertedposition, e.g., when the injector 28 is pointed downward. A secondoperative position is for use in the upright position, e.g., when theinjector 28 is pointed upwardly. A third position is an inoperativeposition, where the cap assembly 50 is closed so that no chemical canflow through the cap assembly 50 from the tank 44.

The inner cap member 94 includes an attachment mechanism 98, shown inFIGS. 21-24, for attaching the cap to the rim of the container 46. In apreferred embodiment, a quarter-turn bayonet mount with a snap lock isprovided. Mating bayonet mount threads are provided on the inner capmember 94 and the rim of the container 46. The snap lock 100 is shown inFIG. 26 as including a prong 102 that extends outwardly from the side ofthe inner cap member 94 and a catch 104 that is positioned on andextends outwardly from the rim of the opening 48 of the container 46.The prong 102 and catch 104 are both made of a plastic material and, assuch, have a resiliency that allows the prong 102 to lock the inner capmember 94 to the container 46, but, with sufficient application offorce, allows the user to remove the cap assembly 50 from the containeropening 48. Other known attachment mechanisms can also be used, such asconventional screw threads, among other known mechanisms. It ispreferred that the selected attachment mechanism provide a water tightseal in order to avoid the unwanted discharge of chemical from the tank.In this regard, a seal 51 may be utilized between the inner cap member94 and the rim of the container 46 if desired.

The outer cap member 96 is rotatably positioned on the inner cap member94 and is retained on the inner cap member 94 by a screw 106, which isshown positioned near the center of the cap assembly 50 in FIG. 17. Theouter cap member 96 includes a tab 108 that extends outwardly from theside of the cap assembly 50 and is configured so that a user may rotatethe outer cap member 96 by moving the tab 108.

The inner cap member 94, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 21-24, includes afirst opening 110 and a second opening 112. The first opening 110 is ahole that extends through the surface of the inner cap member 94 and isfor use in the inverted position. When the user points the injector 28downwardly, chemical in the tank 44 will flow through the first opening110. The second opening 112 also is a hole that extends through thesurface of the inner cap member 94, but the second opening 112 issurrounded by an inwardly extending flange or rim 114. This flange 114is used to hold a section of tubing 116 that extends to the opposite endof the container 46 such that the tubing 116 is submerged in anychemical in the container 46. The tubing 116 may extend around theflange 114 or be inserted inside the flange to hold it in position. In apreferred embodiment, the tubing 116 is ¼ inch inside diameter plastictubing. The flange 114 around the second opening 112 has a diametersized to hold the plastic tubing 116 firmly in place. The second opening112 is for the use of the container 46 in the upright position, and thetubing 116 preferably extends to the opposite end of the container 46 inorder to suction out chemical when the container 46 is in an uprightposition. In addition, the second opening 112 may be used when thecontainer 46 is in a horizontal position since the tubing 116, which hassome flexibility, will sink to the bottom of the tank 44. Since thelocation of the bottom of the tank changes depending on the orientationof the tank 44, the tubing 116 should always be submerged in thechemical as long as the tank 44 is not inverted.

O-ring seals 118 are preferably positioned around each of the first andsecond openings 110, 112 and serve to provide a seal between the innerand outer cap members 94, 96. The O-rings 118 may be positioned inrecesses 120 defined on the outer surface of the inner cap member 94, asshown in FIG. 17, or may be positioned in recesses defined on the innersurface of the outer cap member (not shown). The O-rings 118 may be madeof a rubber material, such as buna-nitrile. The O-rings 118 preferablyspan any gap that is present between the inner and outer cap members 94,96 in order to provide liquid-tight operation.

The outer cap member 96, as shown in FIGS. 17-20, has a third opening122 that extends through the surface of the outer cap member 96. Theouter cap member 96 includes an upstanding, outwardly facing flange orrim 124 that surrounds the third opening 122. This flange 124 is sizedto accept a conduit or tube 126 that extends to the second chemicalinlet 68 of the injector 28. Alternatively, the conduit can fit aroundthe flange, as shown in FIG. 25. In a preferred embodiment, the conduit126 is ¼ inch plastic tubing. In addition, the first, second, and thirdopenings 110, 112, 122 may have a diameter that is about ⅛ inch,although this may vary depending upon the application and the size ofthe container 46.

The first, second, and third openings 110, 112, 122 are positioned sothat when the outer cap member 96 is rotated relative to the inner capmember 94, the third opening 122 may align with the first opening 110 orthe second opening 112 of the inner cap member 94. The first opening 110aligns with the third opening 122 for inverted usage. The second opening112 aligns with the third opening 122 for upright usage. The thirdopening 122 aligns with neither the first nor the second opening 110,112 in the closed position.

The container 46 may include indicia 60 in the form of instructions tothe user. For instance, the indicia 60 may align with the rotationalpositions of the outer cap member 96 to indicate “off”, “inverted”, or“upright” operation.

The outer cap member 96 is rotatable through a desired angular range inorder to move between the three positions. For example, FIG. 17 showsone embodiment where the cap assembly 50 is rotatable through a 180°angular range. In this embodiment, the first and second openings 110,112 are positioned 180° apart and the third, closed position is locatedbetween the first and second opening positions. In contrast, FIGS. 18-25depict a cap assembly 50 that is rotatable through a 90° angular range.In FIGS. 18-25, the first and second openings 110, 112 are positioned90° apart and the third, closed position is located between the firstand second opening positions. Other ranges for angular rotation may alsobe used, if desired. For example, it is not necessary that the third,closed position be between the first and second opening positions. Thethird, closed position could be positioned outside the angular range ofthe first and second opening positions. For example, the third, closedposition could be at 210° angular rotation, or another angular position.

The outer cap member 96 utilizes a detent system for informing the userthat the proper position has been located for the angular rotation ofthe cap. The outer cap member 96 has a projection 128 for mating withrecesses positioned on the inner cap member 94. The projection 128aligns with a first recess 130 when the third opening 122 is alignedwith the first opening 110 and with a second recess 132 when the thirdopening 122 is aligned with the second opening 112. The projection 128aligns with a third recess 136 when the third opening 122 is not alignedwith the first or second openings 110, 112 and is in a closed position.The combination of the projection 128 and recesses 130, 132, 136provides a tactile message to the user when the third opening 122 isproperly aligned with either the first or second openings 110, 112, oris in a closed position. As shown in FIGS. 18-20, the projection 128 maybe defined on a V-shaped cut out 134 in the outer cap member 96 thatforms a V-spring. In a preferred embodiment, the projection 128 isdome-shaped.

The inner cap member 94 also includes leveling bumps 138, which extendoutwardly from the surface of the inner cap member 94 to abut the outercap member 96. The leveling bumps 138 are positioned opposite theO-rings 118 around the first and second openings 110, 112. The levelingbumps are used to counteract the O-ring seals 118, which extend abovethe upper surface of the inner cap member 94 and are used to level theinner and outer cap members 94, 96 relative to one another. While therecesses 130, 132, 136 and leveling bumps 138 are shown positioned onthe inner cap member 94 and the projection 128 is shown positioned onthe outer cap member 96, they could be oppositely arranged, if sodesired.

The inner and outer cap members 94, 96 are preferably made of anon-corrosive material, such as a thermoplastic. One type ofthermoplastic that may be utilized is polypropylene.

It should be noted that while the first chemical tank is shownpositioned on the cart next to the pump, the first chemical tank inletcan be positioned at any point in the flow path prior to the nozzle, aslong as a venturi is positioned adjacent the first chemical inlet in theflow path. For instance, the first chemical inlet could be positioned onthe spray wand upstream from the nozzle. The first chemical inlet couldbe positioned in the injector prior to the nozzle. The second chemicaltank could be utilized for supplying a chemical at the first chemicalinlet, as well as at the second chemical inlet. Appropriate valvingwould be necessary in order to distribute the chemical at either thefirst or the second chemical inlet in the low or high pressure spraymode. Thus, in this embodiment, which is not shown, a single chemicaltank would be necessary to provide the three or four modes of operationof the pressure washer, as discussed above.

While various features of the claimed invention are presented above, itshould be understood that the features may be used singly or in anycombination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to belimited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein.

Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications mayoccur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed inventionpertains. The embodiments described herein are exemplary of the claimedinvention. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to makeand use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspondto the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The intendedscope of the invention may thus include other embodiments that do notdiffer or that insubstantially differ from the literal language of theclaims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as setforth in the appended claims.

1. A container for coupling to a spray lance of a pressure washercomprising: a hollow member having at least one opening and at least oneattachment mechanism for attaching the hollow member to a spray lance,said hollow member being configured to house a chemical.
 2. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises threeclips aligned on a side of the hollow member, said clips beingconfigured to attach the hollow member to a spray lance.
 3. Thecontainer of claim 2, wherein the three clips each have a cross-sectionand comprise two end clips and a middle clip, with the end clips havinga first cross-section and the middle clip having a second cross-section.4. The container of claim 2, wherein the hollow member has an elongated,tube-like shape that is closed at one end and has an opening at theother end.
 5. The container of claim 2, further comprising a cap coupledto the at least one opening for assisting in retaining a chemical in thehollow member.
 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the cap includes atleast one opening and has three operative positions, a first operativeposition opening the at least one opening for inverted use of thecontainer, a second operative position opening the at least one openingfor upright use of the container, and a third operative position closingthe at least one opening.
 7. The container of claim 1, wherein thehollow member has a length that is equal to or less than a length of aspray lance of a pressure washer.
 8. The container of claim 1, whereinthe at least one attachment mechanism is configured to position thehollow member parallel to a spray lance of a pressure washer.
 9. Acontainer for coupling to a spray lance comprising: a hollow memberhaving at least one opening and at least one attachment mechanism forattaching the hollow member to a spray lance, said hollow member beingconfigured to house a chemical; and a cap assembly having an inner capmember with a first and a second opening and an outer cap member with athird opening, wherein the outer cap member is movable relative to theinner cap member such that the third opening aligns with the firstopening when the cap is in a first operative position, the third openingaligns with the second opening when the cap is in a second operativeposition, and the third opening aligns with neither the first nor thesecond opening when the cap is in a third inoperative position.
 10. Thecontainer of claim 9, further comprising a locking assembly for lockingthe cap assembly to the hollow member opening, said locking assemblycomprising a projection extending from the inner cap member and a catchpositioned on the container, said projection configured to engage thecatch in a removably locking manner.
 11. A cap assembly for a containerthat is usable in both an upright and an inverted position, the capassembly comprising: an inner cap member having a first and a secondopening; and an outer cap member having a third opening and beingcoupled adjacent to the inner cap member, said outer cap member beingrotatable relative to the inner cap member into at least three operativepositions, such that the third opening aligns with the first openingwhen the cap is in a first operative position, the third opening alignswith the second opening when the cap is in a second operative position,and the third opening aligns with neither the first nor the secondopening when the cap is in a third inoperative position.
 12. The capassembly of claim 11, wherein the inner cap member includes anattachment mechanism for attaching the cap assembly to an opening of acontainer in a non-leaking manner.
 13. The cap assembly of claim 11,wherein the first operative position is for inverted usage of acontainer and the second operative position is for upright usage of acontainer.
 14. The cap assembly of claim 13, further comprising aconduit coupled to the second opening and extending into the containerfor operation in the second operative position.
 15. The cap assembly ofclaim 13, wherein an upstanding rim is positioned around the thirdopening, said upstanding rim being configured to accept a conduitthrough which a fluid can exit from the cap assembly.
 16. The capassembly of claim 11, further comprising a locking assembly for lockingthe cap assembly to a container.
 17. The cap assembly of claim 16,wherein the locking assembly comprises a prong extending from a sidewall of the inner cap member, the prong being configured to engage acatch positioned on a container.
 18. The cap assembly of claim 11,wherein the inner cap member is plastic and the outer cap member isplastic.
 19. The cap assembly of claim 11, wherein a seal is positionedin the vicinity of the first opening between the inner cap member andthe outer cap member, and a seal is positioned in the vicinity of thesecond opening between the inner cap member and the outer cap member.20. The cap assembly of claim 11, further comprising a detent system forinforming a user when the outer cap member is positioned in one of theat least three operative positions.
 21. The cap assembly of claim 20,wherein the detent system comprises a projection extending outwardlyfrom the outer cap member and at least three recesses defined on theinner cap member, the projection being configured to engage the recessesone at a time upon the angular rotation of the outer cap member, witheach recess representing one of the at least three operative positions.22. The cap assembly of claim 11, wherein the outer cap member isrotatable through about a 90° angular range between the three operativepositions.